Shadows
by The Storybooker
Summary: Some things can't be shrugged off just because it all turned out okay in the end. Coda to chapter 907. AKA: Vivi and Rebecca have a lot in common.


_A/N: Based on the events of chapter 907. Also, this is my first fanfic in about 6 years!_

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The arrival of Mjosgard was providential. There would have been no reprieve, no salvation for Shirahoshi if he hadn't shown up. And though Vivi had only known them for all of a few minutes, she already knew: if Shirahoshi had been taken, then her father and brothers would have been lost as well, whether to slavery or death.

It was no surprise that after her release, Shirahoshi sat in place, wracked with sobs and trembling even as she thanked Mjosgard again and again. Shirahoshi looked the way Vivi felt.

It was one thing to stand up to an aggressor. It was quite another to stand up to a celestial dragon. Vivi knew—had always known—that they could be horrible and dehumanizing. But to attempt to enslave the princess of a delegation that had arrived for the Reverie?

She felt naive and foolish for ever thinking that there was any sort of rule or morality that might keep these monsters in check. Vivi herself had yelled at CP0, at the celestial dragon, because her life had taught her to be strong and remain true to her heart.

But if Mjosgard hadn't come…would any of the rest of them have been killed or enslaved, just for speaking common sense?

The thought was already festering in Vivi's mind, sending tentacles of ice along her spine and every limb.

She counted it a miracle that she maintained her composure.

Vivi had questions for Mjosgard, who was deep in conversation with King Neptune. But as Shirahoshi cried, she knew where her priorities should lie.

Rebecca was already at Shirahoshi's knee, stroking the scales there and uttering reassurances.

"It's all right now," Rebecca said. "It's okay." She repeated herself again and again. Vivi silently commended her new friend, realizing that it was not the words, but the steady voice that made her sound reassuring.

"I'm sorry," Shirahoshi sobbed. "I didn't want to be weak anymore. I wanted to become strong for Luffy-sama. But I- I…!"

"Crying doesn't make you weak," said Vivi. "What just almost happened… That was despicable. That should never have happened. Of course you should cry. It's a horrible thing that that monster tried to do, and-"

"Vivi," said Rebecca softly, and Vivi realized that her voice had been rising.

Rebecca took her hand, and Vivi realized that she was shaking. Vivi took a few deep breaths, and pressed her forehead to Shirahoshi's scales for a moment.

"We're not like this, Shirahoshi. Please, believe me. He's a monster—most of his kind are monsters. But most of us aren't like that."

"I know," sniffled Shirahoshi, and though her tears continued to flow, they were a little slower than before. Her sobs were quieter too.

The three of them shared a stretch of silence: Rebecca and Vivi each pressing a hand to Shirahoshi's scales in reassurance, their other hands linked together between them. Vivi breathed to slow her heart rate and calm her temper. She heard Shirahoshi doing the same, trying to stop crying.

Rebecca stood calmly, her face gentle and betraying nothing.

Before long, Mamboshi came over to check on Shirahoshi, followed closely by Futaboshi. Rebecca and Vivi stepped back. Vivi went to pull her hand out of Rebecca's, but-

Rebecca held on tighter.

Vivi saw the cracks, then: the rigid posture, the clenched jaw, the way that every so often her hand would spasm in Vivi's, like she was trying to grip harder and not quite in control.

Vivi was no stranger to PTSD—all of Alabasta had suffered it after the needless civil war two years ago, and Vivi herself had found an astonishing amount of trauma to work through.

Something about Rebecca reminded Vivi of herself two years prior, and she made a snap decision.

"Come," she said softly, pulling Rebecca aside.

"Igaram, don't let anyone come after us," she whispered, and led Rebecca to the far side of one of the fountains.

"Nobody's watching," Vivi told Rebecca once they were out of sight of the others in the shadow of the fountain.

Rebecca trembled, her skin ashen, and patently didn't burst into tears. Instead, the trembles intensified until she was on her knees, shaking so hard that her teeth were chattering.

Vivi sank down with her, one arm around her shoulders, the other stroking her back.

It didn't take long for the trembles to subside—but Vivi knew that it wouldn't have felt that way to Rebecca.

"I'm so sorry," Rebecca whispered at last. "I don't know what came over me—what you must think of me…"

"I think that you're very brave," said Vivi firmly. "I think that you're very strong."

Rebecca huffed out a laugh. "You don't have to- I just sat there and screamed. You actually—you tried to reason with them, you tried to defend humanity to Shirahoshi's family, you were where you needed to be, saying all the right things-"

"Stop it. Don't compare yourself to me. I did my best, and that doesn't mean you weren't doing yours. Most likely nothing we said or did would have changed the outcome if Mjosgard hadn't showed up."

"Mjosgard…?"

"The one who stopped it all."

"I wasn't even listening. I'm such a-" Rebecca's eyes shone with unshed tears.

Vivi made a snap decision. "I had a mental breakdown at a public event once."

"What?"

"There was this event at a coastal city. We were celebrating a new unity, but I didn't know that part of the ceremony would involve lighting a boat on fire that was out in the bay. There were fireworks on the boat, see, and it was supposed to be this magnificent display.

"But I once watched a friend of mine get blown up in a boat—it turned out he got away, I spent _weeks_ believing that I'd watched him die. So when I saw that boat catch fire, I screamed bloody murder. For a moment, I couldn't remember where I was, or when. I was on a dias with my father, and everyone saw me have that breakdown."

Rebecca stared at her, wide-eyed. Vivi smiled back.

"It's okay. Most of the people around me understood, because they'd all seen more violence than they should have, too. They didn't know the specifics, but they understood that a big public breakdown didn't define me."

There was a moment of silence, punctuated by the click of a swallow. Rebecca closed her eyes and raised her hand to cover Vivi's on her shoulder.

"Thank you. Would you- would you mind if we stayed like this just a little longer?"

"Not at all," said Vivi. "Shall I talk to you?"

Rebecca nodded.

"I met Luffy when I was undercover, pretending to be part of this organization trying to bring my country down from the inside. Long story—anyway, my partner and I were supposed to be hunting this giant whale. We infiltrated the whale—oh, I should probably mention that it was so huge that its doctor had basically built ship passages and pedestrian passages through the inside of the whale—and were all ready to carry out our plan, when out of nowhere, along comes this boy in a straw hat, charging at us from god only knows where.

"He knocked us into the whale's stomach acid, and fell in himself. Mr. Bushido—I mean, Zoro had to fish him out. They fished us out too, and were holding us captive for awhile. At some point, Nami comes along, and literally kicks us out of the ship, into the ocean. They'd been holding us with sacks over our heads, so for a moment we still thought we were inside the whale.

"But we realized we were free, and were about to head back, only to realize we'd lost our log pose. Turned out we'd dropped it on Luffy's ship. So we have to go back and beg them to take us to our island—and it turns out they broke our log pose, and hadn't brought their own. They hadn't even known they'd need one, or even what it was."

Rebecca let out a muffled giggle into Vivi's shoulder.

"Anyway, Nami toys with us a bit, Luffy makes friends with the whale, and eventually they commit to taking us to our island. Let me tell you, that's the weirdest ship experience I'd ever had. Nami doesn't check the log pose often enough so we get completely turned around, Luffy and Usopp are having a snowman competition, and the weather's changing so quickly left and right that eventually Nami kicks us all outside to work. And the whole time, Zoro's just snoring away! He woke up when things settled down and commented on how lazy we were all being. Nami didn't take it well at all."

Rebecca was laughing openly, now.

"Nami-chan certainly sounds like a character. I hope I get to meet her too, someday."

Vivi's eyebrows rose. "You never met Nami?"

Rebecca shook her head. "No, they were split up. I met Zoro and Usopp and Robin and Franky, though. They were all so strong, and so very kind—Robin especially."

Vivi smiled. "I never knew her that well. Would you tell me about her?"

Rebecca obliged.

The portrait of Nico Robin painted by Rebecca's words bore little to no resemblance to the Miss All Sunday from Vivi's memory. Vivi had known a conniving, perpetual smiler whose motives were always difficult to grasp. Rebecca, on the other hand, knew a woman who was maternal, kind, strong, and unafraid to put herself on the line for others whatever the cost.

Vivi smiled widely at that. She'd never doubted Luffy's decisions in his choices of crew, yet it was reassuring to hear it from the mouth of someone who'd met her. Nico Robin was not Miss All Sunday at all.

"Princess?" came Igaram's voice. "Is everything okay?"

Vivi looked to Rebecca. Her color was back, and a smile on her face.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yes," said Rebecca.

Vivi stood, and reached out her hand to help Rebecca up. They shared one last smile and re-emerged into the square.

Vivi had a feeling that she'd found a rare sort of friend: a true kindred spirit.


End file.
